Dolphins regress on all fronts in Week 2 loss

By Jeff Dickinson  |   Monday, September 15, 2008  |  Comments( 8 )

Miami Dolphins
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What a difference a week makes in the interesting world of the National Football League. During the season's opening weekend, the Miami Dolphins played pretty well, especially for a team that went 1-15 in 2007, in a 20-14 loss to the AFC East rival New York Jets.

Last Sunday, though, things weren't so positive for Miami, which dropped a 31-10 decision in Arizona. Against the Cardinals, the Dolphins looked more like the one-win squad from last year than the promising group from Week 1 of this season.

The Dolphins didn’t just take a step backward against the Cardinals; rather, they went five steps in reverse. Quarterback Chad Pennington, who was good against the Jets, was toothless during a 10-of-20, 112-yard performance. Head coach Tony Sparano ultimately pulled Pennington for second-round rookie Chad Henne, who fared decently (7 of 12 for 67 yards) in mop-up duty.

Pennington wasn’t the only offensive failure for Miami, though, as its running game was missing in action for the second straight week. The Dolphins finished with a paltry 72 net rushing yards, with the two-pronged attack of Ricky Williams and Ronnie Brown combining for a meager 53 yards on 22 carries. Neither surpassed the 2.5 yards-per-rush mark.

After the Dolphins abandoned the run in their opener, the blame was placed on offensive coordinator Den Henning; however, after the Arizona loss, fingers are being pointed toward the Dolphins' offensive line and backs.

Miami’s defense also needs to take a long look in the mirror after allowing the Cardinals' Kurt Warner to stay upright and comfortable all afternoon en route to a 19-of-24, 361-yard, three-touchdown showing. More embarrassing for the Dolphins, Warner finished with a perfect QB rating of 158.3.

Warner got help from wide receivers Anquan Boldin and Larry Fitzgerald, who torched the Miami secondary for a combined 293 yards and three scores. Boldin caught a 79-yard touchdown pass and Fitzgerald hauled in a 75-yarder that led to another score. The Dolphins rarely pressured Warner, who is one of the most immobile quarterbacks in the league.

Things don’t get any easier this week for the Dolphins, who travel to New England for a clash with the 2-0 Patriots. Even without Tom Brady, the Pats still look like one of the league's most well-rounded teams.

If the first two weeks -- especially last Sunday -- are any indication, this could be the early stages of another long season in South Florida.
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About Jeff Dickinson

I have been writing and editing professionally for 18 years. I spent the first three years of my career as a sportswriter for a daily newspaper in Alabama and got to cover sports and get paid for it! It was great until I got married and then it wasn't too much fun being away from my wife every ...
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